Van Brocklin-to-Fears Pass Play Gave Rams Title

Forty-eight years ago today, late in the afternoon at the Coliseum, the Los Angeles Rams reached the franchise’s high-water mark. Over the years in Los Angeles, Anaheim and now St. Louis, the NFL championship the Rams won that day remains their only one.

It happened because of a perfect, long-distance play with 7:35 remaining.

The Rams and Cleveland Browns were tied, 17-17, when quarterback Norm Van Brocklin--who had taken over for starter Bob Waterfield in the third quarter--entered the huddle for a third-and-three play on the Rams’ 27-yard line.

Time for a play called “Red right, X-Y post.”

Years later, left end Tom Fears recalled the moment:

“I was supposed to go down the middle of the field, fake right, and keep right on going,” he said.

“It was a deep pass play, and when I looked back for the ball I could see it was coming right for me. I can still see it. Problem was, I was between the Browns’ safety and the cornerback.

“Luckily for us, those two guys ran into each other and both lost their balance, just as I was catching a ball that was absolutely perfect. I was in full stride and it came right into my hands.

“When I reached the end zone, I thought: ‘This is too good to be true.’ I looked back for flags. There weren’t any.”

The crowd of 57,522 exploded when Fears caught Van Brocklin’s pass and thousands stood and cheered through the remaining moments, when Los Angeles’ defense repeatedly turned back Cleveland’s last desperate drives and the final score was 24-17.

The Rams, who were seven-point underdogs, were rewarded with a record championship game payoff--$2,108 a player.

Cleveland coach Paul Brown went into the raucous Ram locker room afterward to congratulate Los Angeles coach Joe Stydahar and several players, who were being thrown into showers fully clothed and doused with champagne.

None of them that day could know, of course, that nearly a half-century later, no other Ram team would experience such a moment.

Also on this date: In 1972, Pittsburgh’s Franco Harris made his famous “immaculate reception” of a Terry Bradshaw pass that bounced off Oakland’s Jack Tatum in a divisional playoff game. Harris made a shoestring catch on the confused play and ran 42 yards to complete the 60-yard scoring play for a 13-7 victory. Game officials had to consult instant replay video to determine what actually happened.